Board Thread:Traders' Board/@comment-32372433-20170910174654/@comment-30804097-20170912010558

Illemonaticonfirmed wrote: BlackoutUchiha wrote: that's not the problem its the face that deep sea scales are rare  DeepSeaScales are rare if you don't use a pokemon lead with compound eyes (the held item rate will be 5% without compound eyes). With a pokemon lead with compound eyes, the held rate for the DeepSeaScale will be 20%. Changing its rarity from rare to uncommon (at least by my standards, 20% rate is uncommon).

The main problem with LatrellRBLX's strategy is the target of DeepSeaScale farming, Basculin. Basculin is not the best target for scale farming for two simple reasons. First, its catch rate is low, so it takes more effort to catch it. Second, it can learn the move Take Down. I think the move take down is pretty self-explanatory. But for explanatory puposes, take down is a recoil move so the user takes damage as a side-effect of the move. In other words, imagine this scenario:

Wild Basculin BLUE stripe appears!

Switch to Frisk pokemon, Joltik Frisk's Basculin's DeepSeaScale!

Switches to Paras and use Spore

Paras uses False Swipe (brought down HP to 1)

Basculin wakes up and uses Take Down!

Basculin takes recoil damage, Basculin fainted...

Of course, Blue-Stripe Basculin has the primary ability Rock Head which negates recoil damage. However, it also has the secondary ability Adaptability. Gambling on the 50% chance that the Basculin's ability is risky, especially if you have already been farming for an hour. It is no doubt a very frustrating scenario that can possibly happen due to the randomness of the sleep status and ability. Basculin could wake up immediately the turn after Spore has been used, ruining the entire plan because of a recoil move.

What this plan did not consider is that there is another place for Scale farming, and that is Cragonos Mines (Good Rod) or Cragonos Spring (Good Rod) through Chinchou, who has a relatively higher catch rate (can most of the time be caught with 1 regular pokeball with sleep status at full health) and no recoil moves. So, to make things easier, just go for Chinchous instead of Basculins. Or, you can just use Quick Balls, which worked for me.